indict

verb

in·​dict in-ˈdīt How to pronounce indict (audio)
indicted; indicting; indicts
Synonyms of indictnext
1
transitive + intransitive : to formally charge (someone) with a crime by the finding of a jury (such as a grand jury) : to formally accuse (someone) of a crime in an indictment
If either the IRS or the FBI decides a suspect has committed a crime, a lot of hurdles must be leaped before that individual is put in prison. The agents must gather evidence, persuade an independent prosecutor to present the evidence to a grand jury, make sure the evidence is convincing enough so that the grand jury will indict the suspect, and then present the evidence to a regular jury that decides whether the suspect is innocent or guilty.—David Burnham
Traditionally the grand jury consisted of 23 persons with the favorable vote of a majority needed to indict. Today, many states use a somewhat smaller grand jury (e.g., 12) and some require more than a simple majority to indict.—Wayne R. LaFave and Jerold H. Israel
2
transitive : To accuse (someone or something) of a weakness, failing, or wrong action
The relation between freedom and literacy became the compelling theme of the slave narratives, the great body of printed books that ex-slaves generated to assert their common humanity with white Americans and to indict the system that had oppressed them.—Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Past studies have indicted high radon levels for an excess of lung cancers among underground hard-rock miners …—J. Raloff
indicter noun
or indictor
in-ˈdī-tər How to pronounce indict (audio)

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of indict in a Sentence

A grand jury is expected to indict him for murder. the grand jury could indict the mayor for fraud and embezzlement
Recent Examples on the Web April McLaughlin, a Chandler woman who was arrested and faces charges accusing her of neglecting 55 dogs, was indicted on fraud charges on Monday, a year after police originally seized the dogs. —Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024 Trump's campaign said it was hacked by an Iranian group in June, and on Sept. 27 three Iranian people were indicted for allegedly hacking the campaign, stealing emails and sharing them with media. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2024 Last week, Adams was indicted on federal criminal charges, becoming the first mayor of the city to be charged with criminal offenses while in office. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024 This past week, Boeing still had the blues, the presidential election got closer (in time, anyway), New York City’s mayor got indicted, the Walmart kids became centibillionaires, and Hurricane Helene battered Florida. —Peter Green, Quartz, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for indict 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indict.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier indite, from Middle English inditen, from Anglo-French enditer to write, point out, indict — more at indite

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of indict was in 1531

Dictionary Entries Near indict

indicolite

indict

indictable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Indict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indict. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

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Kids Definition

indict

verb
in·​dict in-ˈdīt How to pronounce indict (audio)
: to charge with an offense or crime : accuse
indictable
-ə-bəl
adjective

Legal Definition

indict

transitive verb
in·​dict in-ˈdīt How to pronounce indict (audio)
: to charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a grand jury in due form of law compare accuse, arraign, charge
Etymology

alteration of earlier indite, from Anglo-French enditer, from Old French, to write down, ultimately from Latin indicere to proclaim, from in- toward + dicere to say

More from Merriam-Webster on indict

Nglish: Translation of indict for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of indict for Arabic Speakers

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